7 clever ways to beat the summer heat

Jul 06, 2017 | Kaitlyn Matousek

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Uqora's Kaitlyn Matousek gives us her favorite tips to beating the summer heat

It’s summer time! The weather is hot, kids are out of school and there is a feeling of excitement in the air. Whether you choose to enjoy your summer by the water or at a BBQ, here are a few of my favorite summer hacks.

Simplify your beauty routine. In the summer you don’t want to spend tons of time on your makeup. Pair down the number of products you use. My favorite catch-all is coconut oil. It’s proven to boost energy, moisturize skin and reduce cellulite. I use it on a cotton pad as a makeup remover, put it on the ends of my hair as a hair treatment and around my nails while painting them to moisturize my cuticles and to serve as a barrier so my polish doesn't get messy. Add it to your coffee as a natural creamer and sweetener or bake with it in place of canola or olive oil. Check out this article for even more ideas.

Freeze your fruit. Not only are frozen grapes, strawberries or watermelon a tasty snack on their own, you can also use them as ice cubes. Green grapes are a great accompaniment to a crisp glass of white wine. Or adding frozen strawberries to campaign adds a fun pop of color and flavor. Looking for something nonalcoholic? Make the best lemonade by freezing watermelon into small cubes and adding it to lemonade with a little mint, is guaranteed to please both adults and kids. Make a healthy alternative to ice-cream by freezing and blending bananas. Add a splash of milk and blend until desired consistency. This tasty treat is not only addictingly good it’s healthy as well.

Keep ants at bay, the nontoxic way. Depending on where you live ants can be a real problem in the summer. Instead of using poison, which damages more than just the ants, try grinding corn kernels in a blender and leaving piles where the ants are coming through. The unwelcome guests will be gone in no time.

Keep your water cool in all conditions. When the sun is beating down and your face is dripping with sweat an insulated water bottle can be your best friend. Whether you’re going on a hike or on a picnic sometimes there is nothing better than a cool drink of water. Hydroflask and S’well bottles are made from aluminum and promise to keep liquids cold for up to 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours. So when you want that coffee or hot chocolate to stay hot in the winter these bottles will also be really handy.

Protect your skin. In the summer we tend to spend more time outside in the sun, which makes it important to wear sunscreen every day to prevent sunburns and skin cancer. A brand I love using all year round and especially in the summer is COOLA. They have a variety of sunscreens from a mineral baby SPF stick, perfect if you have a little one at home, to a tinted sunscreen if you want a little coverage, to the classic sunscreen that easily absorbs and doesn't leave your skin greasy. All products are cruelty-free and provide broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

Soothe the sunburn away. If you end up getting a nasty painful sunburn look to your kitchen for natural remedies. Spreading a thin layer of plain yogurt over your burn and leaving it for ten minutes will help restore your skin. Adding a cup of oatmeal to your bath will also calm irritated skin. I would recommend crushing oats in a blender or food processor and then pouring it into a sock that you throw in your bath. That way you won’t have to clean up the aftermath.

Get clever about hiding your valuables at the beach or pool. If you're heading down to the beach or lake and are worried about leaving your valuables exposed, hide them in plain sight. Use a sunscreen or shampoo bottle! Take an empty bottle wash it out and use it as a container to put your valuables. This is also great if you don't want electronics like your phone or camera to get sandy.

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